On August 19, 2018, MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an awareness talk on organ donation at Brahmani Club, Rourkela, Odisha. It was an initiative of Ladies Circle India in association with Brahmani Club, Rourkela. Ms. Nitika Agarwal (Chairperson, Ladies Circle India, Rourkela branch) organised the session & Ms. Anindita Sabath (Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation) coordinated it. She was also the resource person for the session.

Ladies Circle India known as LC India, is a non-political & non-sectarian organisation open to the wives of Round Table India members. It offers opportunities for serving the community for fostering & strengthening friendships between like-minded young women & helps create a better understanding of the obligations one owes to the society. Ladies Circle India is over 1600 members strong with 114 active circles spread across India. It is present in 19 states and 57 cities.

Ms. Shraddha Mahanta (Secretary, Rourkela Ladies Circle 120) introduced the guests of the evening. The Chief Guest was Dr. Biswajit Mohapatra (President, Indian Medical Association, Rourkela city branch) & Dr. P. Lall (Managing Director, Aastha Mother & Childcare Hospital, Rourkela) was the Guest of Honour.

The session began with an inspirational video on organ donation. Ms. Anindita then spoke on the concept of organ donation and most importantly why discussing this very important but underplayed out area has become the need of the hour. She spoke about the current worldwide statistics on organ donation and India's position as compared to the other European countries. A brief information on opt-in & opt-out consent system followed the world over was also imparted to the audience.

As Odisha is still in a nascent stage to start the deceased donation programme, the audience had various queries regarding the same. To note down a few:

1. What is the present status of Odisha and by when can we expect this deceased organ donation programme to start in Odisha?

2. Why has the programme not picked up in Odisha in-spite of MOHAN Foundation's continuing efforts for the last many years. What were the challenges and setbacks that the Foundation had to encounter?

3. What are the logistics & infrastructures required for a hospital to get the license for a transplant & a retrieval centre?

4. What are the changes done in the 2011 amendment of the THO Act and the subsequent rules that came out in 2014?

The presentation ended with another short video on organ donation. The Chief Guest & the Guest of Honour were then invited to share their views on the topic.

Dr. Biswajit shared that if we really wish to donate our organs after death, it is our responsibility to take care of those organs when we are alive. Instead of promoting ‘healthcare’, each individual should promote ‘care for health’ and do the needful to lead a healthy life.

Dr. Lall suggested maintaining a paediatric donor & a recipient registry as there are not only adults who need organs but there are also lakhs of children who are waiting for an organ.

Mr. Binod Sharma (Promoter, Lifeline Hospital, Rourkela) spoke about corneal donation & how all of us as individuals should propagate & promote it.

The session ended with a very positive note where Dr. Biswajit proposed for a similar session with all the doctors of Indian Medical Association, Odisha.

Close to 60 participants attended the session.